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prices have dropped by 50% and are back to the level they were 10 years ago, and it is believed they cannot drop any further.

As we all know that very dark cloud has a silver lining, the real estate sector saw its silver lining with crisis situation beginning to fade away and with prominent developments at regions like in the gulf and some other economies which are believed to be less affected comparatively, by the sub prime crisis.

To bring into picture the brighter side of the Real estate sector talking about Switzerland will be worth giving a shot.

Real estate in Switzerland:

Switzerland is undoubtedly one of the most attractive countries in the world to live in. An ideal combination of political and economic stability, a clean and safe environment and relatively low tax rates make it the ultimate place of residence. The possibility of lump-sum taxation, extremely low inheritance taxes as well as the high degree of privacy and personal security enjoyed by its inhabitants make Switzerland the residence of choice for many celebrities and wealthy individuals.

Some of the many advantages of Switzerland include:

Political, social and economic stability

Multi-lingual, highly qualified and motivated workforce

First-class infrastructure, excellent banking facilities

Very attractive lifestyle and healthy environment

Efficient and reliable public services

Possible fiscal incentives for substantial investments

Favorable taxation system with moderate tax rates

But if you are looking for real estate in Switzerland, you need a reliable partner whom you can trust.

Switzerland has restricted the acquisition of real estate by foreigners for decades. In principle, all foreigners who wish to acquire Swiss residential real estate must obtain approval prior to their purchase, which will otherwise be invalid. Such approval is relatively difficult to obtain. These restrictions also mean that tax and estate planning options for foreigners wishing to acquire holiday homes in Switzerland is are very limited.

For foreigners who hold a Swiss residence permit it is however possible to acquire real estate for their own personal use. Also the acquisition and holding of purely commercial real estate by foreigners no longer restricted in Switzerland.

Switzerland has learned its lessons from the real estate crisis of the 1990s. As a result, the real estate markets are looking rather stable again in 2010 despite the economic environment. The housing markets in particular should remain immune to the crisis thanks to good matching of supply and demand. The highly cyclical office property market faces a more difficult year. While demand is set to remain weak, the volume of property is continuing to expand rapidly. According to the Credit Suisse economists, this supply overhang will push up vacancy levels and ultimately also impact on rents. In the retail property market, weak sales growth in the retail trade and societal shifts are accelerating structural change at the expense of small-scale stores and certain areas of specialist retailing. In this market environment the disparity between winners and losers is further amplified.

The Swiss real estate market has not been destabilized by the global recession, let alone by t